1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an inspection apparatus of terminal groups (portions to be inspected) extending from an outer periphery of an electronic component such as an integrated circuit (IC), and more particularly to an inspection apparatus of an electronic component capable of displaying the portions to be inspected such as the terminal groups disposed in a plurality of directions onto the same plane.
2. Prior Art
FIG. 5 shows an integrated circuit (IC) as an example of an electronic component. A plurality of terminal groups (2a), (2b), (2c) and (2d) are disposed on four sides of the IC (1). The terminal groups (2a), (2b), (2c) and (2d) are protruded in the directions of (A), (B), (C) and (D), respectively. In FIG. 5, only the terminal groups (2a) and (2c) are shown.
The terminal groups (2a), (2b), (2c) and (2d) each include a large number of terminals. When the IC (1) is mounted on a circuit board, the terminals constituting the terminal groups (2a), (2b), (2c) and (2d) are joined to land portions formed on the circuit board by means of solder paste. The solder paste is melted by a heating furnace and cooled to thereby be hardened, so that the terminals are soldered to the land portions.
In order to mount the IC (1) on the circuit board exactly, it is necessary that all of the terminals of the terminal groups (2a), (2b), (2c) and (2d) protruded in the respective directions can be brought into contact with the land portions on the circuit board stably. For example, when any terminal is deformed to be separated from the land portion, the deformed terminal fails to come into contact with the land portion and cannot be electrically connected to the land portion exactly. Further, when any terminal is deformed to be protruded downward, a plurality of terminals positioned on both sides thereof are separated from the land portions to form space therebetween, so that soldering therebetween is failed. Accordingly, before the IC (1) is mounted on the circuit board, it is necessary to inspect whether all tips of the terminals of the terminal groups protruded in the respective directions (A), (B), (C) and (D) are aligned on the same plane or not.
Heretofore, the inspection is made by means of eyes or an image taking apparatus, while the inspection is made separately in the respective directions of (A), (B), (C) and (D).
However, the inspection using eyes is difficult to examine delicate unalignment or ununiformity of the terminal groups including the numerous terminals one by one.
Further, in the conventional inspection using the image taking apparatus, it is necessary to rotate or move the IC (1) or the image taking apparatus in order to take images of the terminal groups in the respective directions and the inspection process requires much labor and time. In addition, ununiformity of the separate terminals in the terminal group in each direction can be examined, while it is impossible to compare and examine uniformity of the tips of the terminals between the terminal groups protruded in different directions. Accordingly, even when the tips of the terminals of the terminal group protruded in each direction are aligned or uniformed, there is a case where the tips of the terminals of the terminal groups protruded in different directions are not necessarily aligned with one another when the tips are compared with one another. In such a case, it is impossible to bring all the terminals into contact with the land portions stably.
Accordingly, it is desired to develop the inspection apparatus of an electronic component which can compare the terminal groups in all the directions.